PESHAWAR: The government is set to evaluate the performance of the institutions covered under the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015, help them adopt the new law, and introduce a mechanism of accountability there.

“The Policy Board is starting an evaluation and quality improvement programme for all MTIs ensuring that they not only adhere to the Act but they are also accountable in all aspects of their functions,” chairman of the Prime Minister’s Health Task Force Prof Nausherwan Barki told Dawn.

Prof Barki, who is also the chairman of the Lady Reading Hospital’s Board of Governor, said the programme was meant to carry out the detailed performance review of MTIs at regular intervals and provide them with the necessary guidance.

The MTIRA, 2015, has been extended to nine medical teaching institutions in the province but only two of them, including LRH and Hayatabad Medical Complex, are completely functioning in accordance with it.

“I believe that with this process, there will be major changes over the next year,” Prof Barki said.

Govt to help MTIs follow new law, adopt accountability system, says PM task force chief

He said the Policy Board was meant to help MTIs adopt the same approach in financial and administrative issues through coordination to discuss issues and share their works and skills.

Prof Barki said the LRH would share the processes and forms with MTIs to enable them to improve performances.

He said the law meant to do away with the old system and improve administrative, clinical and educational aspects of MTIs for which the Policy Board was created to bring uniformity in functioning of all institutions.

The health task force chairman said the boards had been created to supervise the functioning of MTIs.

LRH director Dr Khalid Masud said MTIs would be offered technical assistance in line with the directives of the board.

He said the 1750 beds hospital had an online system of investigations and attendance and had got new specialists in several medical disciplines after the getting the MTI’s status.

Dr Masud said the record of 4,500 staff members was maintained through the Radio Frequency Identification technology installed with the help of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.

He said the doctors in OPD were examining the results of investigation on big screens.

The director said earlier, patients used to receive the result hard copies before visiting doctors and the entire exercise took much time.

“We have hired 100 faculty members, including 30 who quit jobs in UK and US. They are imparting postgraduate training in areas in which specialisation wasn’t available. The LRH pioneered postgraduate training in trauma and emergency care as three UK-based consultants joined the Emergency Department. The IBP, the main component of the MTIRA, was first begun by the LRH, which can share its experience with MTIs,” he said.

LRH manager (human resource) Abidur Rehman said every section of the hospital was run by the relevant professional managers under a proper chain of command on the BoG’s recommendations, which could be followed by the nascent MTIs.

“HR plays a very significant role in the need-based deployment of staff. The MTI’s employees are given promotions and incentives based on their performance,” he said.

The official said any programme regarding the provision of training to personnel from other MTIs would be decided by the BoG and that the LRH would act on instructions to strengthen institutions.'

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2019